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hilarybeattie

Happy New Year: New Exhibition, New course and last place on retreat


We made it!! What a hard year 2022 was for so many of us, but here we are into 2023 and I just saw the first daffodil shoots in the garden here in South Wales. That means spring is on the way and that makes me happy. So I'm viewing the coming year with happy optimism.

And despite all the challenges ahead in 2023, I also feel some sort of return to normal life for the fist time in a few years. I've got a couple of exhibitions planned for myself - the first being 'Tulip Mania' which starts at Forge Mill Needle Museum in April this year (only a few months now so I'm working hard on that one)

and then in 2024, 'Thoroughly Mid Century Modern' will start at the Minerva Arts Centre in Powys. I hope both of these will show at other venues and I'll update you when I have news. Both will have associated workshops as well, which start with a tulip mania 3 day retreat, running from April 20 - 22 inclusive. I don't often teach in person now, and I've only got 1 place left on this retreat (I could stretch to 2 of you want to come with a friend !)

More details here or click on the image below

I love tulips and I'm really enjoying making lots of new work for the exhibition, as well as preparing some inspiring ideas for the retreat. I see tulips as bold and vibrant, smashing away any last winter blues as we head through spring. And that's the sort of work I'm aiming for. Cropping images is a favourite design approach for me, and my first piece is a triptych, based on a drawing of some really overblown tulips in a vase. The image below is the crop design (ignore the wording running through higher up - that's where I've tipped in a page using washi tape with script!)

Each of the panels will be 40cm x 120cm, and canvas mounted. I've stencilled and dyed fabrics for these pieces, and you can see the first one getting started below. I've got lots more images of the working process -, which I'll share with you in my next blog post

Right now I want to tell you a little bit about the online Gelli Printing course, which is starting in 4 days!! It's a year long course and this will be its 2023 outing. It's been running in 2022, with some lovely results so far, which Id love to share

The following images are from month 1: where we were getting used to the process, learning about transparency and opacity and making homemade stamps with household items. We finished that month by creating a random collage book, and a book with crops and some text, plus some crops in frames

The next month we added in opaque paint and dye, and created our own stamps from cardboard and foam, as well as using some wooden print blocks, to see how those can play with the gelli plate

Month 3 we added in commercial stencils, as well as learning to make our own and use them with our gelli plates. Throughout we have been printing on a large variety of substrates - mostly recycled. We started by considering the use of a monotone palette, with just one additional colour. I used turquoise with black and white

I loved this session, and the next, where we tried out used stencils and an analogous palette

I know - that's masses of prints!! but they were all just so delicious ...

So at the end of month 3 we did a few more projects, to try out ways of using our abundance of prints


First up we made an envelope zigzag book

And also created baby collages on cards to tuck into the envelope pockets .. I love this sort of book

We finished up by starting a gelli collage book, which we can add into throughout the rest of the course

We will now be moving into the fourth and fifth month, where we will be looking at working with masks. Another favourite way of using the plate for me, leading to creations such as these

Blimey - that's a lot of images I know - but its been such a good course so far in 2022, I wanted to show you whilst there is still a chance to sign up for 2023. If you are interested you can find more information and sign up details here or click on the image above

And I think I should stop there, and come back next time to share more about my latest tulippy pieces.

Thank you for visiting, and do keep in touch won't you - Hilary xx


326 views9 comments

9 comentários


hilarybeattie
04 de jan. de 2023

Hello unknown member!! I just sense I will like you - so why not come and work on the stand?!! xxx

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karenmhvid
karenmhvid
04 de jan. de 2023

OMG I love your work and the colours. Especially the tulip tripych. Fantastic!

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hilarybeattie
04 de jan. de 2023
Respondendo a

aw thanks Karen - Tulips are such a lovely theme to work with xx

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Membro desconhecido
04 de jan. de 2023

Blimey……my head just fell off!! I need to retire, these are just lush and so many!! 😍 Lynne x

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hilarybeattie
04 de jan. de 2023
Respondendo a

lol!! We need to find you better screws for that head!! xx

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chris.evans55
04 de jan. de 2023

love all the images, looking forward to blowing the dust off the Gelli plate packaging and getting cracking.

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hilarybeattie
04 de jan. de 2023
Respondendo a

only a couple of days now Chris - I'm just getting the group set up. You will love it I think xx

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April Bonner
April Bonner
03 de jan. de 2023

Wonderful work, I just loved what you do from the moment I saw you at that very first Festival of Quilts show in 2013, guess I just have to come along this year to celebrate the anniversary :)

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hilarybeattie
08 de jan. de 2023
Respondendo a

Hello unknown member!! I just sense I will like you - so why not come and work on the stand?!! xxx

Curtir
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